Hmong pair held for 1.2m pills

Two Hmong men were arrested along with 1.2 million 'yaba' pills and five kilograms of crystal meth or "ice" in Chiang Rai's Muang district, police said yesterday.

The suspects - Thawin Yangsawaswong, 28, and Tor Sae-Ma, 26 - were arrested in tambon Tha Sud on Friday while transporting the narcotics in a pick-up truck.

The duo reportedly confessed that they were hired for Bt1 million to delivery the drugs to Phitsanulok. Police were investigating this case and will hold a press conference tomorrow.

In related news, a Thai man was arrested along with 50,000 'yaba' pills in Nakhon Sawan's Mueang district early yesterday morning.

Following a tip-off, police found the 50,000 methamphetamine pills on a "suspicious" pick-up and arrested the driver, Nattapol Narin, 30. He reportedly confessed that he was hired for Bt10,000 to take the pills to Uttaradit's Mueang's district.

Meanwhile, police arrested two men with one tonne of marijuana in Ayutthaya's Wang Noi district yesterday.

After police found several sacks containing a tonne of marijuana among sacks of river rocks in the 18-wheel truck, police arrested truckdriver Lampai Patnapho, 54. Police also arrested other suspect, gardener Nirun Kotangka, 35, who was allegedly waiting in the area to collect and take the drugs to Bangkok.

Lampai reportedly confessed that Nirun hired him to deliver the rocks but he didn't know some sacks also contained marijuana, while Nirun reportedly confessed he was hired for Bt100,000 to deliver the marijuana to Bangkok.